Veteran Synth Artist Charles Cohen Charged with Child Sex Crimes

Charles Cohen is an underground music icon, having been active since the '70s and working on synth-based free jazz and improvised noise. Now, it appears that the 70-year-old's legacy may be sadly tarnished, as he has been arrested for allegedly attempting to solicit sex from a minor.

Montgomery County District Attorney's Office in Pennsylvania announced today [via FACT/Philly Mag] that Cohen had been arrested on September 28. It was a sting operation targeting internet predators, as Cohen had become involved with in online exchange with an undercover police officer posing as a 14-year-old boy.

Here's where it gets truly disturbing — Cohen proposed a meet-up with the intent that he and the boy would perform oral sex on one another. When the musician showed up at the arranged meet-up location in Collegeville, PA, he was arrested by police.

Cohen was charged with three crimes: criminal attempt of involuntary deviant sexual intercourse with a child under 16, unlawful contact with a minor, and criminal use of a communication facility. His bail was set at $100,000 US, and he was sent to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. Cohen will have a preliminary hearing on October 13.